I love how the Duetto looks. The covered headlamps and boat tail. Pure art.
Looking for another vintage car/grand tourer as good to drive as the Coupe
- Thread starter Luis A.
- Start date
Oh boy... here we go:
Alfa Bertone 2000Cs; nice tourer. Power to mass is OK, but not fantastic. Carries that sought after passion that Alfa desperatly tries to keep.
close or perhaps a bit north of the E9 price wise:
Alfa Montreal; and way more complicated repairs/ rebuild / restorations).
MB 280, either in Coupe or convertible. Delicious but a bit more for the gentleman / retired banker. Tourer yes, sporty..... well you shouldn't.
A bit quirky on your side of the pond, but the Volvo P1800 is also a beauty, but with average handling. Note also the station car variant of that, google P18000ES; dubbed "Snow White's Coffin" in german countries due its large glass rear section.
There are also some nice, price-like alternatives in combinations of US engine & Euro styling; Jensen Interceptor is one. Facel Vega HK500 is another succesfull Pre-TTIP product
Way north of E9 prices are Monteverdi & Iso Grifo (7 litre engine, but easily into hundereds of thousands $)
but now i'm dreaming....
Alfa Bertone 2000Cs; nice tourer. Power to mass is OK, but not fantastic. Carries that sought after passion that Alfa desperatly tries to keep.
close or perhaps a bit north of the E9 price wise:
Alfa Montreal; and way more complicated repairs/ rebuild / restorations).
MB 280, either in Coupe or convertible. Delicious but a bit more for the gentleman / retired banker. Tourer yes, sporty..... well you shouldn't.
A bit quirky on your side of the pond, but the Volvo P1800 is also a beauty, but with average handling. Note also the station car variant of that, google P18000ES; dubbed "Snow White's Coffin" in german countries due its large glass rear section.
There are also some nice, price-like alternatives in combinations of US engine & Euro styling; Jensen Interceptor is one. Facel Vega HK500 is another succesfull Pre-TTIP product
Way north of E9 prices are Monteverdi & Iso Grifo (7 litre engine, but easily into hundereds of thousands $)
but now i'm dreaming....
Luis,
Late last summer I picked up a '71 Alfa 1750 GTV, I've alwayed loved them & wanted to own one, finally found a reasonable 'driver' at a good price.
I knew the driving experience would be different than the CS, but that was something I wanted too.
And at least for me, it is very different, and I don't know yet how I'd feel after taking it on a 500-1000
mile drive. It's louder, ride is rougher, has limited creature comforts, but it is a blast to drive on 2-lane twisty country roads.
I do find I enjoy getting back in the CS (stock) for a long drive. After driving the Alfa, it makes me notice how the CS accelerates up to cruising speed with little effort and noise, how much quieter it is at cruise speed (still has its 4-speed, though I have a 5-speed for it), it's very smooth ride...a more relaxing driving experience.
I do enjoy having the ability now to choose the car the suits my driving mood at the time. I'm still working
on the Alfa so some of my comment may change...
pedro
Late last summer I picked up a '71 Alfa 1750 GTV, I've alwayed loved them & wanted to own one, finally found a reasonable 'driver' at a good price.
I knew the driving experience would be different than the CS, but that was something I wanted too.
And at least for me, it is very different, and I don't know yet how I'd feel after taking it on a 500-1000
mile drive. It's louder, ride is rougher, has limited creature comforts, but it is a blast to drive on 2-lane twisty country roads.
I do find I enjoy getting back in the CS (stock) for a long drive. After driving the Alfa, it makes me notice how the CS accelerates up to cruising speed with little effort and noise, how much quieter it is at cruise speed (still has its 4-speed, though I have a 5-speed for it), it's very smooth ride...a more relaxing driving experience.
I do enjoy having the ability now to choose the car the suits my driving mood at the time. I'm still working
on the Alfa so some of my comment may change...
pedro
gotta love the GTV ... its pretty ... a nice muscular look to beauty. there is a noticeable difference between the 1750 + 2000 (injected). i want to go drive the new Giulia
Love that Red Alfa. Always wanted one.
My uncle had a Green 1750, he's passed now and I was reminiscing with my God Mother about when they bought this car last time we spoke.
There weren't too many of these in Quebec City back in the day.
Here is another oddball maybe worth considering....
A Saab 900 Carlsson SPD. That would certainly go on the highway and be comfortable.
My uncle had a Green 1750, he's passed now and I was reminiscing with my God Mother about when they bought this car last time we spoke.
There weren't too many of these in Quebec City back in the day.
Here is another oddball maybe worth considering....
A Saab 900 Carlsson SPD. That would certainly go on the highway and be comfortable.
If you are looking for an experience that is not "too similar to the coupe", you could look at the Citroen-Maserati SM. This recently posted comparison was praiseworthy of its ride and handling.
http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/thread...-reprinted-in-drive-my-com.24735/#post-185113
It would likely not be a cheap date though.
http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/thread...-reprinted-in-drive-my-com.24735/#post-185113
It would likely not be a cheap date though.
my sailing friend had a midnight blue '74 gtv 2000. loved that car. when i was a kid we used to drive past this alfa dealer across from the beach in gulfport, mississippi ... it even survived Katrina. those weres the first alfas i had seen in person (after seeing the movie the Graduate). i remember loving the front grille ... was a little disappointed what the '74 bumper standards did to it on the spyder.
Driving a Citroen, either a DS or Sm is certainly at the top of my automotive curiosity list. Excellent suggestion.
i know a guy that has an SM ... not many people who know how to work on them. extremely expensive to maintain. very cool though
Whilst we are showing Alfa's some love i thought i'd share my SZ.
Another 3.0 fuel injected shark ...
Another 3.0 fuel injected shark ...
Colleague of mine has such a Citroen SM (Maserati engine); we occasionally drive each others cars. Although quite comparable in performance, the (his?) SM is like a boat-on-the-road, rolling in every corner. And it is a pain to maintain; for instance it has disc brakes that are located inboard; close to the engine, so you have to remove stuff just to get access to the brake pads....Quirky brake also; it's a rubber ball under your foot instead of a normal pedal. The other difference is the engineering; where the SM has uber-engineered engine and suspension, it seems to me they had to cut back on the rest of the car. things are flimsy, there is a lot of mucking about when you want to remove, disassemble, repair & replace stuff.
But then again, isn't all this just called the spritit of the car?
Euro 308 gt4--I can see the appeal
They had a whole class of these cars at Cavallino this year, all beautifully done
http://www.gallery-aaldering.com/co...-european-version-low-mileage-overig-1974-en/
They had a whole class of these cars at Cavallino this year, all beautifully done
http://www.gallery-aaldering.com/co...-european-version-low-mileage-overig-1974-en/
the 928 is definitely a grand tourer ... and the price is generally quite reasonable. Gary Knox must not have visited this thread ... he's our resident former 928 expert
If I pick up this M3 I'm looking at today I might have a really nice 1988 e32 for sale 
I've cleaned up just about everything and it's one of the most enjoyable rides I have ever owned. I plan on driving it to the Vintage-
I've cleaned up just about everything and it's one of the most enjoyable rides I have ever owned. I plan on driving it to the Vintage-
I agree completely with your comment about the 65 Riviera! I would love to own one.
Just received this email....
For those who are interested in the above mentioned Citroen SM AND who happen to be in California next week AND who are free on a Tuesday morning (weird bit of scheduling there...)
Upcoming Events at The Mullin Automotive Museum - Oxnard California.
JERRY HATHAWAY
Tuesday, May 16th
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
$40 Per Person
Mullin 1000 Club Members: Free Of Charge
The Mullin Automotive Museum is pleased to announce
we will have The SM Guru Jerry Hathaway on May 16th for a special morning dedicated to an exquisite piece of engineering, the Citroën SM.
Both Jerry and his wife, Sylvia, have set records at over 200 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1985 and 1987, making them the third couple to become lifetime members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club in their specially prepared in-house twin-turbo charged Citroën SM. His shop in Santa Clarita has specialized in the SM since they were first imported to the United States in 1972, and he has been impeccably restoring them since 1974.
For those who are interested in the above mentioned Citroen SM AND who happen to be in California next week AND who are free on a Tuesday morning (weird bit of scheduling there...)
Upcoming Events at The Mullin Automotive Museum - Oxnard California.
JERRY HATHAWAY
Tuesday, May 16th
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
$40 Per Person
Mullin 1000 Club Members: Free Of Charge
The Mullin Automotive Museum is pleased to announce
we will have The SM Guru Jerry Hathaway on May 16th for a special morning dedicated to an exquisite piece of engineering, the Citroën SM.
Both Jerry and his wife, Sylvia, have set records at over 200 MPH at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1985 and 1987, making them the third couple to become lifetime members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club in their specially prepared in-house twin-turbo charged Citroën SM. His shop in Santa Clarita has specialized in the SM since they were first imported to the United States in 1972, and he has been impeccably restoring them since 1974.
JhwShark
Well-Known Member
I've got a '79. Nice, fun car...well balanced for the corners.
Love the 2 door Jags XJs, I've only seen one in a friend's garage.